Minutes Matter: A Bus Transit Service Reliability Guidebook (2020) / Chapter Skim
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58 6.1 Introduction This chapter provides information regarding Step 6 of a reliability improvement program: identifying reliability treatments. It first presents the four different categories of reliability improvement treatments.
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Reliability Improvement Tools 59 operational, physical, or perceptive. Technological treatments would include developing a more sophisticated operations control center built around real-time monitoring technology as well as the use of real-time data to make changes to service in real time.
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60 Minutes Matter: A Bus Transit Service Reliability Guidebook 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Adding Timepoints Relaxed Unrealistic On-Time Definition Skip Stop Services Implementing On-Bus Vehicle Diagnostic Systems Accepting Some Fare Evasion Lowered Reliability Goal During Certain Special Events Pay-On-Exit Fare Collection Added New/Changed Measures Changed Definition of On-Time Reducing Number of Route Variations Optimizing Signal Timing Bus Shoulder Running Deploy Run-As-Directed Buses Separate Turn Lane and/or Signal Yield to Bus Law Retrain Drivers with Poor Reliability Performance Transit Signal Priority Reliability Reports and/or Agency Scorecards Ad Hoc Service Changes Eliminating Timepoints Monitoring Driver Performance/Fatigue Curb Extensions Real-Time Dispatch for Timed Transfers Added Layover Facilities Parking Restrictions Reconfigured Bus Terminals Shortening Route Length Stop Relocation Exclusive Bus Lanes Expanded Terminal Capacity Improved Bus Design Semi-Exclusive Bus Lanes Route Realignment Expanded Stop Capacity Queue Jumps Off-Board Fare Collection/All-Door Boarding Stop Consolidation Lengthening Stops Stop Amenities Real-Time Arrival Information Schedule Changes Outreach to Customers Successfully Implemented Not Successful, Mixed Success, or Unknown Figure 6.2. Reported treatments implemented by survey respondents.
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Reliability Improvement Tools 61 also reported to be successful, as were operational changes to route structure (such as shortening/ realigning routes and consolidating stops)
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62 Minutes Matter: A Bus Transit Service Reliability Guidebook lessons learned and best practices coordinating with traffic agencies and other parties. Additional research assembling the results of these studies and assessing their effectiveness could then be disseminated to enable additional agencies to more effectively select treatments to address unreliability.
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Reliability Improvement Tools 63 Improvement Treatments Causes of Unreliability Addressed Treatment TradeOffs Expected Effect Capital Cost Operating Cost Ease of Implementation Operational Treatments Enhanced route operational control Excessive running time, travel time variability Uneven service with short turns High – – Easy Introduce standby buses Non-operation, early/late start Higher scheduled frequency Moderate – $ Easy Introduce scheduled short turns Excessive running time, travel time variability Less service on outer parts of the route High – – Easy, but local concerns will arise Limited-stop service Excessive running time Service reduced at local stops Moderate – $, if an overlay Easy Bus stop consolidation Excessive running time, travel time variability Stop, spacing, customer access Low – – Easy, but local concerns will arise Right-sizing bus stops Excessive dwell time, travel time variability Difficult to get curb space downtown Medium – – Easy, but local concerns will arise Route network adjustments Excessive running time, travel time variability Taking service away from customers High - $ Easy, with robust planning support Divide very long routes Travel time variability, uneven route boarding Additional transfers for some customers High – $ Medium, public engagement Schedule and headway optimization On-time performance, travel time variability Frequency changes for some customers Highest – $ Easy Coordinate schedules at transfer points Inconsistent transfer times Time added to schedules Medium – $$ Easy, with robust scheduling effort Bus operator training, incentives and monitoring Non-operation, early/late start Training costs High – $ Medium, needs support of labor Route contingency plans Non-operation, weather, special events How to effectively inform customers Medium – $ Medium, if done in a meaningful way Increase fleet size Frequency of service Big capital/operating cost increases High $$$$ $$ Difficult Employ more full-time bus operators Non-operation, early/late start Operating cost increases Low – $$$ Easy, but costly Coordinate with roadway agencies to anticipate construction impacts Excessive running time, on-time performance, travel time variability Increased administrative coordination Low – $ Easy/Medium Coordinate with traffic and parking enforcement Excessive running time, on-time performance, travel time variability Increased administrative coordination Medium – $ Medium Physical Treatments Dedicated transitways and bus lanes Excessive running time, travel time variability High cost, highway agency opposition High $$$$$ $$ highway agency Medium-difficult Queue-jump lanes Excessive running time, travel time variability Could require property takings Medium $$ _ Medium Level boarding and lowfloor buses Variable dwell time Added capital cost, lower bus capacity Medium $$$$ – Easy (except for cost) Articulated buses Excessive running time, travel time variability Added capital cost for specialized buses Low/possibility negative $$$$ $$ Medium, training is required Right-sized terminals and layovers Travel time variability early/late start Neighborhood opposition Medium $ _ Medium Far-side stop placement Variable dwell time Very minor cost High for each stop $ – Easy, with some nimby issues Table 6.1.
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64 Minutes Matter: A Bus Transit Service Reliability Guidebook Table 6.2 through Table 6.6 take the causes from Table 5.2 and match them to the set of possible treatments listed in Table 6.1 and described in detail in Section 7.5. There is one table for each element of unreliability.
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Reliability Improvement Tools 65 Technology Bus control centers Policy Reliability-based fleet maintenance Treatments Non-Operation O pe ra to ra va ila bi lit y Ve hi cl e av ai la bi lit y Br ea kd ow ns O pe ra tio na l Enhanced route operational control Introduce standby buses Introduce scheduled short turns Increase fleet size Employ more bus operators Table 6.2. Possible treatments for non-operation.
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66 Minutes Matter: A Bus Transit Service Reliability Guidebook Treatments Variable Travel Speed In su ffi ci en t/e xc es s sc he du le d tim e To o fe w /to o m an y tim e po in ts O ve rly lo ng ro ut e La ck o f a dh er en ce to ti m e po in ts O pe ra to rs ki ll/ be ha vi or D el ay s m er gi ng in to tr af fic fr om s to ps In ci de nt s, s pe ci al e ve nt s, c on st ru ct io n Tr af fic c on ge st io n Si gn al d el ay W ea th er O pe ra tio na l Enhanced route operational control Introduce standby buses Limited-stop service Bus stop consolidation Right-sizing bus stops Route network adjustments Divide very long bus routes Schedule and headway optimization Operator training, incentives, and monitoring Route contingency plans Increase fleet size Coordinate with roadway agencies to anticipate construction impacts Coordinate with traffic and parking enforcement Ph ys ic al Dedicated transitways and bus lanes Queue-jump lanes Far-side stop placement Curb extensions at bus stops Coordinate with roadway agencies to incorporate bus-supportive features Te ch no lo gy Bus control centers Traffic signal optimization Transit signal priority Real-time information systems Yield-to-bus laws Bus-on-shoulder operationPo lic y Table 6.4. Possible treatments for inconsistent travel speeds.
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Reliability Improvement Tools 67 Treatments Variable Dwell Times To o m an y st op s/ po or ly lo ca te d st op s Po or tr an sf er c on ne ct io ns U ne ve n lo ad in g du e to v ar ia bl e he ad w ay D em an d in e xc es s of c ap ac ity Va ria bl e pa ss en ge r d em an d Fa re p ay m en t d el ay s Ac ce ss fo r c yc lis ts Ac ce ss fo r m ob ilit y im pa ire d O pe ra tio na l Enhanced route operational control Introduce standby buses Limited-stop service Bus stop consolidation Right-sizing bus stops Schedule and headway optimization Route contingency plans Increase fleet size Ph ys ic al Dedicated transitways and bus lanes Level boarding and low-floor buses Articulated buses Coordinate with roadway agencies to incorporate bus-supportive features Te ch no lo gy Transit signal priority Fare innovations for dwell time improvements Po lic y Boarding limits Public education Table 6.5. Possible treatments for inconsistent dwell times.
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68 Minutes Matter: A Bus Transit Service Reliability Guidebook Tier 1 – Treatments Under the Direct Control of the Transit Agency, Easiest and Fastest to Implement, and Lowest Cost • Introduce scheduled short turns • Limited-stop service (by converting existing scheduled trips) • Bus stop consolidation • Coordinating schedules at transfer points • Operator training, incentives, and monitoring • Route contingency plans • Real-time information systems (with an existing AVL system)
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